Alfonso Soriano's Season Likely Over

In an odd way, 2009 has been somewhat of a lucky season for Alfonso Soriano. Not because he's played well for the Chicago Cubs, as he's only hitting .240 with 20 home runs, but because Milton Bradley has drawn most of the vitriol from the Chicago media and Cubs fans. So Soriano's lack of production has been somewhat under the radar.

I wouldn't even be surprised if some Cubs fans hadn't even noticed that Soriano hasn't played a game since September 3rd as he battles through a lingering knee injury. It doesn't sound like he'll be back in the lineup anytime soon, either, as it seems he's going to undergo surgery and miss the final few weeks of the year.

"I'm very disappointed, but I have to do what I have to do," Soriano told ESPN 1000 before Friday's game against the Reds. "I'm battling. Now I think I want to get an operation sooner than later ... to get ready for next year. I have to play with one leg now."

With the Cubs all but eliminated from the playoffs at this point, letting Soriano sit makes more sense than having him play. Considering that the Cubs still have to pay him $90 million over the next five seasons -- that noise you hear is a Cubs fan bashing his face into a mirror -- they may as well take every precaution imaginable with him.

After all, maybe Soriano's knee really has been what's caused him to struggle in 2009. Maybe after he has surgery he'll return to the 40/40 form of old that got him this contract in the first place.

Or maybe he'll get paid $18 million next season to strikeout more often than he picks up a hit (Soriano has 118 strikeouts in 2009 compared to 115 hits) and continue to drive the hometown fans insane.

Yeah, probably the latter.